Whitley’s Peanuts at Gloucester Point will be celebrating its 30th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with a public celebration at its retail store on Route 17. The free event will include food, drinks, prizes and games and is open to all.

The business was started in 1986 by Marion Smith and his son, Craig. Their dream was to one day open a store and sell quality-roasted, home-cooked Virginia peanuts to people across the nation, a release stated.

“At the time they opened, they had only one small batch roaster with three employees cooking and roasting peanuts in the back of the store,” said Whitley’s spokesperson Victoria Willems. Because of the quick growth of the company and high demand for Whitley’s Virginia peanuts, the company later opened a second location in Williamsburg and a new production facility at Hayes.

“For 30 years and thousands of peanuts later, the Whitley’s Peanut Factory has become a local staple that has perfecte...